Artists Repertory Theatre **Photo credit: Owen Carey**September 16 - October 26, 2008
Review by peanutduck
Fantastical design – haunting sound (Ortega), grotesque costumes (Gahagan), playful set (Olich) with shifting blocks, pop-out ductwork – most interesting character. Eurydice herself is underwritten and is further diminished by Le Blanc to a mere pretty face; bewildered, I wondered why Orpheus (Martin del Campo) would create the saddest song for her.
14 comments:
Caught Eurydice this weekend. Best theatre I have seen for some time! Characters are all marvelous, as you would expect from this cast, and they soon drag you out of your world and into theirs. The set is intriguing, operating on three levels of earth and the underworld, and the costumes, and sound and lighting create a compelling underworld. Don’t be misled by peanutduck’s lame review. Get to this one: you’ll see clearly why Orpheus followed Eurydice into the land of the Stones. If this isn’t the way theatre is supposed to be, you may as well stay home.
one person's '...lame review.' is another person's difference of opinion. for heaven sakes grow up.
I am going to agree with Anonymous.
What an amazing show. I was bewildered by peanutduck's comment on Eurydice being underwritten. What?! The script is beautiful, the relationship with the father beautiful, filled with so much in the writing which I will not give away, but really how can you say underwritten. Finally I would have to say that LeBlanc does an amazing job. Really missing the original followspot reviewer. It just seems (although everyone has an opinion) that peanutduck clearly missed the boat on this one. I agree go and see this show. Beautiful piece of theatre!!!!!
To maybe clarify: It really hit me that her character was underwritten when, I am uncertain to whom Eurydice was speaking, she spoke of being bursting with ideas and I got the sense that she never had the opportunity to express them, particularly to Orpheus. That conflict within her could have been expressed and explored more and it would given depth to her and Orpheus's relationship. Orpheus says she always reacted a beat too soon. We don't see that in the play until the end, so it seems an aside. As for the play itself, though my review referred to only the character, the underworld action is fairly stagnant. More could have been done to this world to truly make this Eurydice's side of the myth.
This all aside, yes, there was much beauty in this production. But I left feeling cold.
Peanutduck, I think where you are missing the boat is that in this version of the story it is about the reunion with her father,where she did express her ideas, I thought. It is about that relationship,it is about questioning our own mortality, what will we remember or forget, what are the things you hope to remember when you leave this realm. As far as the underworld, I didn't find it stagnant at all I guess its a matter of opinion. I think it is a beautiful piece of theatre, that touches on loss of loved ones, beautifully done as far as the underworld, beautiful direction and design. I think ART has got the start of a great season.
I think it was a brilliant piece as well. I've seen a few productions (including the original staging at Berkeley Rep). This one is very different, but just as compelling. I think this production breathes new and different life into the script. The artistry of the characters, costumes, sound, and aerial dance combine to tell the story on multiple levels.
It could be that some of the characters leave you wanting more texture, but the simplicity of the writing keeps you focused on the truth of the play.
While I don't agree with a lot of "peanutduck"'s assessment (it's an opinion after all), I think people should see it and find out for themselves. There's a magical, personal quality in the production that may touch your soul.
Post back with your impressions... it's a fascinating read!
FYI, the actor playing Orpheus' first name is "Gilberto" not Martin. I think that's his middle name (you can check the A.R.T. Web site to be sure of it).
It would also be nice if you would amend the initial review with your extra thoughts you posted in the comments.
One of the best pieces of theatre I have seen. Beautiful production; exceptional cast; remarkable staging. I will see this show again; once is not enough.
Beautiful set, amazing technical design, costumed perfectly.
Eurydice herself is picturesque; portrays her inner conflict, vulnerability, and humor with ease.
The Stones guided us along on a creepy yet funny path.
The Interesting Man, so much more than interesting. He can do anything on stage.
This show is exquisite and I hope I can make it back before it closes.
I double checked - "Martin del Campo" is Gilberto's last name.
....AND Alex Kuechler's props! The beautiful toys those actors got to play with! I am so jealous!
I liked the verticality of the staging, inspired props, and gusto of the Interesting/Nasty Man. But the script seemed flawed: explaining and enforcing of the rules of Hell took too long, Eurydice and the Stones bicker without import, and interspersing the poignant father-daughter reunion with the lovelorn sojourns of Orpheus perhaps kept the show from getting more momentum. I would agree with peanutduck that, once in the underworld, more action was needed.
of what do we dream? how? didn't it seem that was the point(s)? skillful conjouring of a particular dreamworld - it's characters and conditions - is the foundation on which these crafty showpersons built their re-telling of her age-old story.
had excellent dreams afterward.
I feel like I'm the only one who got annoyed by the set and bored by the music. For me, there is no question that the script is excellent. It has an amazing poetry that flows very well. The gimmick of the set ended up disturbing that flow. The first moments of transformation as the audience discovers that the set is more than it seems were excellent. I particularly liked the image of the large white wall. However, it soon got old and I found myself watching the movements of the set and missing dialogue. I got nervous that the blocks wouldn't slide right (they seemed so HEAVY!), or that someone would slip, and their permutations got so convoluted. Although we all know how the myth ends, there should still be a feeling of suspense during the climatic escape from the underworld, but with the complicated string-pulley system and all those blocks, there was no doubt in my mind that something would go wrong! I wanted less movement, fewer blocks. As far as the sound design, Ortega is awesome, of course, but was it just me or did Orpheus' song sound like something out of Titanic? It just did not fit with the rest of the quirky design, which I can see as fitting to some extent (Orpheus being an outsider of that world, his music so heavenly, yada yada), but STILL--a little less schmaltz please.
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